Thursday, January 9, 2014

Greetings as we enter 2014!!PEC is grateful for your support during 2013 and for your general passion for Earth-caring and sustainability. We thank you for your financial support both through basic membership and beyond. We appreciate you following our e-blasts, website and other social media. We highly encourage your input and responses through the months to come.Thanks as well to the members of the Steering Committee for their leadership through committee work and continuing communication. We have had changes in our regional reps positions. Two who completed their terms in 2013 are Ann Owen (SW) and Andrew Plocher (SE). We thank them for their creativity and enthusiasm as members of the Steering Committee and wish them well. We welcome new regional reps, Paul Homeyer (SW) and Nancy Fayer (SE). Thanks to other members of the Steering Committee who are continuing their term. (See our website for updated information) Please keep in mind that we will be needing a new treasurer, as Sue Smith will be completing her term. If you are interested in learning more about the job, we would love to hear from you!I am very grateful for all who played a part in our 2013 conference at Ferncliff Conference Center. The conference had been in the planning for over 2 years. Thanks so much to the conference planning team, the Ferncliff staff, keynoters, workshop leadership, musicians, conference coordinator and definitely to you all who supported the conference with your presence and enthusiasm. Hats off to Tom Pakurar, PhD, who moderated the conference, the planning team, and Elspeth Cavert , coordinator of both the conference and PEC through August. Ferncliff director, David Gill, not only provided additional excellent leadership, but was awarded the William Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award!! Solar for the Sun was awarded the Restoring Creation Award.PEC continues to be active in supporting eco-justice overtures and planning for 2014 General Assembly. We are coordinating with Fossil Free PCUSA in our presence there and appreciate their overture on divestment. Thanks to our many partners as we carry out our mission, including those within the PCUSA, particularly Environmental Ministries and the Hunger Program, as well as Creation Justice Ministries, GreenFaith, and the UMC Caretakers. We are grateful as well for previous leadership of PEC.Peace, passion, energy and strength to us all through 2014,Diane Waddell, Moderator